Does putting it in IRAs and investing it or putting it in other accounts count as spending? Just curious. If not I have no clue how to spend that amount in 5 years, I'm so used to budgeting I wouldn't have any idea!

My lottery wish list has always been rather mundane - a nice house (but not a mansion), good cars, and lots of travel. then there's my "gift list" for family. The rest of any obscenely large amount of money I've always wanted to use to set up charities. I actually have several in mind).

So to spend most of this on me, in order to keep it would be hard. Maybe it's sorta cheating, but I think after setting aside money for the above house & travel, I'd buy property, then after the conditions expire and everything is mine to do what I want with, I'd sell the property, and start my charities.

I could do the island thing as long as I could be sure my sisters & the pets were taken care of while I was gone.

For the money, I see a problem: How do you keep this a secret from the IRS? And how can you keep the spending secret when the stuff you buy is going to become obvious?

But assuming those 2 problems are resolved, I would pay off my house, buy an old Victorian house in a neighborhood more in keeping with my interests, and have it remodeled and furnished to my tastes (sticking to the vintage theme though). I would probably spend the bulk of the money on investments that would guarantee me an income so I could quit my job. Anything not spend on me would be spent on certain charities and on my sisters.

__________________"There's a day that's comin' when they'll pull the blind - cause the season's gunnin' for me, darling...it just comes down to time."